Preferred Citation

Administrative History

The Cook County Democratic Party underwent a radical shift following the assassination of Mayor Antonio J Cermak in 1933. Patrick A Nash rose to power and led Edward Kelly as Cermak's successor. The Nash-Kelly machine ruled Chicago for the next fourteen years, but not without resistance. A Party split took root in 1938 around Governor Henry Horner and County Judge Edmund Jarecki. Part of the tension between these factions rested on the debate over attracting more African-American voters to the party. Ultimately, the Nash-Kelly faction remained in power until reform energy surged in 1947.